SeaDawg

Cherie, Thanks for the background info on forums. I had no idea what costs were involved. Personally, I think that as long as Oliver is serious about eventually returning to the travel trailer business when the economy improves that they will continue supporting the forum and their own website. (Their website is, after all, one of their most powerful marketing tools.) Even though none of us on the moderator team work for Oliver (we all happily devote our mod hours on a free, voluntary basis), I believe that the folks at Oliver would give us some notice to make other arrangements for the forum in the event that they should ever decide to discontinue their financial support of our "sandbox". Perhaps Mountainborn, as administrator, can shed some additional light here, but I believe he and his wife are spending the holidays with family right now. In the meantime, if you're willing to collect an off-line contact list, that's a nice backup in any event. Sherry

Merry Christmas and a very Happy 2010 from Paul and Sherry!

This is basically what happened to us: Sherry Some codes are re-settable more than once; others lock you out after two tries (one seems successful, second fails, you're done....)

Larry, We also have a Norcold. Seems like most folks have a Dometic. Please give us a call if you think we may be of help. Do you have any error codes? With certain codes, you will get locked out, and have to take it to a dealer to get reset if you have reset it more than once. We experienced this with an NC code that repeated last summer. Ultimate resolution was board replacement, after visits to two different dealers in two different states. Sherry PS Norcold does not, apparently, pay its authorized dealers very well for warranty work, and it's a good idea to take your refrigerator to a dealer you know, and that has patience. Their customer service, in our experience, was extremely slow, both for us and our local dealer. I posted about the extended warranty for those of us who have older Norcolds... You would probably qualify, with the proper documentation sent to Norcold. At least in the third year, it covers parts, though not labor.

I see the Xtreme heaters are on sale at Boater's World, Hodges Marine, and several other places this month. http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... ps-sellers in case this is on anyone' s list for Santa Sherry

We haven't really looked into any other vents. The Oliver seemed to be properly equipped for our use,so far. I'm thinking about new rugs... a runner and entrance mat that more closely match our cushions. Other than that, I just haven't found anything else I need (or want) for our little trailer. Sherry

So, Karen and I were talking today. Do we have a date range yet for Jugfest, or is it to early to pick? Sherry

We agree, especially since we reside in one of those corners!! Hope to see you in Florida this winter.

Thanks, jam49. We'll look into that, too. I doubt the duct tape is the long term solution, but it should stop the abrading effect of metal on metal, at least temporarily. Sherry

That would be great if some (or all!) of you would decide to come our way in January! We hope to see Tom and Karen on their way up to the Panhandle. We'd love to see you. All our best wishes for a beautiful wedding, and more importantly, a wonderful, happy future together! Sherry and Paul

Probably not much of a test in the twenties. We've not had any problems in temps in that range, boondocking. I wonder if running the gas furnace helps heat the area between the hulls. We rarely have hookups, and in the coldest weather we've camped in (I think the thermometer said low temp 13 degrees), we had to use the furnace, not electric heat.

Just curious, how cold will it be tonight in southeast Kansas? Nice job on the tape install. Hope it all works well for you! Sherry

I just finished updating the logs from our last trip (adding up mileage, and notes). I was surprised to find we're already celebrating 30,000 miles camping with our Oliver. What a lot of great times we've had... mostly in the eastern US, but also the Midwest, and this past summer, a month trip along the top of the Great Lakes in Ontario, Canada. Thinking about plans for next year. Sherry

Someone asked me the other day how to get his map into his sig. Instructions are in the first post of this thread. Mountainborn, I see you've found another map-making service, and I like the solid color better than the many colors of the one I used. Care to share the link? Thanks. Sherry

Just to clarify things, this change in discount is at the request of the concessionaires who operate a large number of the USFS campgrounds under long term contracts. The change would only affect those USFS campgrounds run by concessionaires, at least at this time. Campgrounds operated directly by the USFS would still offer the 50% discount. Sherry

Phil & Denise, We love seeing all the photos of your family, your extended family, and your friends. Looks like a wonderful time! What great memories you both are creating for your family for the many years to come. Thank you for sharing with all of us. Sherry

The holidays are right around the corner. Our tree is in the corner of the living room, ready for lights this weekend, and Paul's been out stringing part of the Christmas lights each day on the house. The house smells great with the natural pine scent, and though we're way behind most of our neighbors, the house is "beginning to look a lot like Christmas" too. Well, each holiday (my birthday, Paul's, Christmas...), it seems the Oliver gets a gift, too. A cover (not yet used), solar panels (used all the time, and so wonderful...), the EZ tug (great for our application), and many smaller items. Right now, we're thinking about a few different items for the trailer, some small, some larger. Our neighbors bought a (much, much larger) RV, and I'm ordering a set of acrylic wine glasses and snack plates for them from (where else!) amazon.com.... What's on your holiday list for your Oliver? What have you purchased in the past that you'd call a "best buy"? Sherry

We usually leave our rear dinette set up as a bed. Last summer, while tearing everything apart to clean, I noticed some wear on the lip of the bench seats where the tabletop rests, forming the base of the bed. The edges of the tabletop were wearing a little groove into some parts of the lip. In hopes of eliminating this wear, I applied some strips from Walmart sold as tub and shower safety treads. They come in a pack of eight or so, and are thin, flexible ribbed plastic strips with an adhesive back. I found that by cutting the strips in half on the longitude, they were the perfect size to fit the lip of the bench. One pack was more than enough. I have used the same safety treads to line the lip of the seats where the melamine coated lids fit in the benches to keep the lids from shifting around and chipping the gel coat. These have worked quite well, too. Same technique, cutting the strips in half the long way with a scissors. They look like this: http://www.slipxsolutions.com/product/4 ... ty_Treads/ They're a few dollars a pack in the bath section of most Walmarts. I'm sure other big box stores have a similar item. Thought others might find this inexpensive solution useful. Sherry

We installed the muddawber screens from Camco on the heater and water heater vents about a year ago. No mud dawbers since then, but today, while putting the Oliver away, we did notice that the metal edges of the screens are wearing some on both the gel coat around the furnace vents and the metal plate of the hot water heater vent. Not a real surprise, I guess, as they've been riding around and vibrating for about 20,000 miles or so, and the springs allow some movement of the screens. Paul applied some narrow strips of white duct tape to the face of the vent surrounds, where the screen edges rest, in hopes of abrading the tape instead of the trailer. Not sure how this will hold up on the water heater metal access door, as it gets quite hot when the water heater kicks on. Any other ideas? Sherry

Welcome to the forum, EwEpEr! Sherry

I know some of you like Travasaks for bedding in your Olivers. (Not for me, I'm the Princess &the Pea sort of gal... mattress pads, featherbeds, real sheets & blankets, etc... I gave up any kind of sleeping bag, however lux, when I gave up tent camping decades ago....) http://shop.tuesdaymorning.com/index.as ... typeid=743.) I stumbled onto this deal looking for something else on Tuesday Morning's website. We have two Tuesday Morning outlets in our county... cool place to find overstocked items at much reduced prices. I have never ordered from their website, but find quality stuff in the stores from time to time. Anyway, queen travasaks on sale for $129, shipping around $10,at Tuesday Morning this week, if anyone is interested. Colors are the same as the much more expensive alternatives I've seen on other websites. Sherry

Today, I look forward to our Thanksgiving. I know that we have much to be thankful for. Good family, good friends, and good health. Our best wishes to you all, and we wish you and your friends a wonderful day, and a blessed holiday season. Sherry

Chris, We had our Oliver weighed at a Flying J last year on certified segmented scales. Tongue weight was 420 pounds, well within our (and your) limit. From my notes, we had two full propane tanks (steel) at the time, and I think the small amount of water in the tanks would have been pretty irrelevant. We usually store stuff on the floor of the bathroom when we travel, but I doubt it weighs more than forty or fifty pounds total... a couple gallons of water in jugs, a box or two of wine , plastic box with towels, bathroom paraphenalia, etc. I wish I knew the formulas to help you figure out the tongue weight versus the weight on the electric jack, but I don't. With the position of the electric jack so far back from the tongue, a portable scale will (as you know already, as I see in your post) will give you a much higher weight. How much higher, I don't know. Perhaps the quickest way to find the real tongue weight would be to weigh everything on a segmented, certified scale at a Flying J or another truck stop, and do the two weight process to determine total weight and axle/tongue weights. It went pretty quickly for us, and the operator was really helpful, perhaps because we went at a time when the scales were otherwise empty. I stayed at the phone to speak to the operator, and Paul handled the connection/disconnection on the second weigh. Pretty quick with the electric jack, maybe five or ten minutes total time. I, too, am unhappy that we can't have the same types of fuel-efficient diesels so popular in Europe. My sister-in-law has vowed not to let loose of her old diesel VW till she can replace it with something similar. She gets incredible (40 plus) mileage on the highway. I hear they're coming, though... eventually. Sherry

I, too, love "living in a familiar cocoon, and waking up to a new world out side....". Our little trailers offer such a wonderful way to camp, travel, enjoy our beautiful country. In our 27,000 miles over the last two years, we've awakened to some beautiful sights through the rear window. We're at home now. Thinking about next year's adventures. Hope to see you on the road, Pete. Thanks for the link. Sherry

J, We use a good (though a little expensive) marine paste wax by 3m on the exterior (and much of the interior) of our Oliver. One can lasts a long time, and it's the same wax we use on the boat. Washing, we use a small amount of car wash product or dishwashing liquid (Dawn) in the bucket. A brush with soft bristles and telescoping handle, and a big carwash sponge. Dry with a chamois and old, soft terry cloth towels. I like vinegar windex for the windows and mirrors. Sherry PS I sent you a pm. And, Paul says I should no longer use even mild dishwashing liquid on the trailer... it can remove the wax that takes so much time to apply!